Crawlspaces – those nasty, damp, moldy spaces under your home that you dread entering. They’re one of the least understood parts of a home and the source of countless problems. In this post, I’ll review some of the worst problems and how to avoid them. Crawlspaces often have two big issues: Water / moisture – [...]
Archive for the ‘Construction techniques’ Category
Insulating Basement Crawl Spaces
Posted: February 1, 2012 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, Energy auditing, HVAC, Insulation, Mold & Moisture, PlumbingTags: basements, crawl spaces, frozen pipes, mold
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How NOT to insulate your house
Posted: January 25, 2012 in Building Science, Construction techniques, Insulation, Mold & MoistureTags: brick, cellulose, fiberglass, polyurethane foam, spray foam, stucco, wall insulation
The other day, I was talking with a friend of mine – an energy auditor who was a builder for decades. The topic came around to bad advice that “experts” give about insulating. It’s something that we both feel passionate about because homes get ruined and people get sick when innocent people follow this bad [...]
Do you wonder why your house gets dusty so fast?
Posted: January 18, 2012 in Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, HVAC, InsulationTags: dust, dusty house, HEPA filter, leaky ducts
Do you feel like your house is always dusty, in spite of how much you vacuum and clean? Have you tried all the tricks – HEPA vacuum cleaners, air cleaners, taking your shoes off before coming in the house, washing the dog…. all to no avail? Chances are good that you’re being plagued by a [...]
Why do I have moisture in my walls?
Posted: January 7, 2012 in Building Science, Construction techniques, Insulation, Mold & MoistureTags: condensation, moisture, walls
I just received a question that was too complex to answer quickly, and so interesting that it deserves an entire post. Unfortunately, it represents a situation that occurs far too often. To summarize, the question came from a reader who opened a small hole in their wall and found condensation on the vapor barrier at [...]
Insulating walk-in attics
Posted: December 21, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, InsulationTags: fiberglass batts, knee wall, knee walls, moisture buildup, wall insulation
Most walk-in attics are behind knee-walls – those little walls about 3′-5′ tall that intersect the sloping roof line. Usually the entire space would have been an attic, but they were reclaimed for living space and a wall was installed to make a bonus room. The resulting rooms are often neglected and poorly conceived and [...]
Attic insulation problems and solutions – Part 2
Posted: December 20, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Insulation, Mold & MoistureTags: attic insulation, attic moisture, attic mold, attic venting, condensation, moisture
In the first post, we looked at how adding insulation could lead to frozen pipes if the insulation was put in the wrong location. But, just like a sweater, if you put everything you want to be warm inside the insulation, you can keep your house and pipes happy and energy efficient. This time, we’re [...]
When can adding insulation cause problems?
Posted: December 19, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, InsulationTags: frozen pipes
Sometimes, attics and insulation can be confusing. Usually they make a lot of sense, but occasionally, they’re really confusing! So when people ask “how do I insulate my attic?” – the only correct answer is: “it depends…” Suppose you purchased this house this past October. You get your first electric bill and it’s really high, so, [...]
Doing your own energy audit and save energy – step 1: Open your eyes
Posted: December 10, 2011 in Conservation, Construction techniques, Energy auditing, InsulationDuring the winter, as I look around, houses yell out to me. Do they speak to you? Look at this photo. It’s a beautiful day after a light snowfall. Half of the roof has virgin snow. The other half is totally melted. Clearly, the melted side is losing energy compared with the other side. This [...]
Are you unintentionally poisoning your family?
Posted: December 6, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, Energy auditing, HVACTags: back-drafting, backdrafting, boiler, carbon monoxide, co, furnace
A family friend recently told me of “issues” with their home heating system – “when it runs, the lights get halos around them from all the soot in the air.” I couldn’t believe it when I heard this, and immediately warned him that the condition likely is making his family sick and could easily kill [...]
Reduce your heating bills – seal your ducts
Posted: November 29, 2011 in Building Science, Conservation, Construction techniques, Ducts, HVACTags: duct sealing, ducts, energy efficiency
I admit it – I go crazy when I see leaky ducts. I’m not talking about ducts that have little leaks, I’m talking about problems that cost you hundreds of dollars per year and could be fixed in a few minutes with a piece of tape. Incompetent heating contractors hate me. Why? Because I’m on [...]
